Features include:
• Mathematical concepts (Dancing Feet; The Dog in the Deli; Got You!;
The Giant; A Bug on a Rug)
• Science concepts (Butterfly; Dancing Feet; Snails’ Storm; Roar, Roar,
Roar!; A Bug on a Rug; Little Fish; Monkey Walk; My Head Is Sore)
• Social studies concepts (The Old Truck; Little Fish; Where Is My Mum?;
My Head Is Sore; The Dog in the Deli; Roll Call)
• Technology concepts (The Old Truck)
• Feelings/emotions: (Where is My Mum?; Roar, Roar, Roar!;
My Head Is Sore; Little Fish)
• Rhyme or other language feature (Gloves; Roll Call; A Bug on a Rug)

15 titles:
Level 1: A Bug on a Rug; Dancing Feet; The Dog in the Deli; The Giant; Got You!; Little Fish; Monkey Walk;
Level 2: Butterfly; Gloves; My Head Is Sore; The Old Truck; Roar, Roar, Roar!; Roll Call; Snails’ Storm; Where Is My Mum?

• Joy Cowley First Readers is a fresh new Early Literacy series written by Joy Cowley for New Zealand’s youngest readers. Every book is stand-alone and contains Joy Cowley’s trademark carefully constructed text with the reader’s development and understanding in mind. Look out for the humorous twists in these stunningly illustrated books.
• Levelled by New Zealand Educational Consultants, Joy Cowley First Readers align with the NZ Curriculum and cover literacy levels 1–2, Pink. There are 15 Small Books and two titles available as Big Books. User-friendly Teacher’s Notes are included on the inside front cover (Before Reading, Reading the Text) and the inside back cover (Responding to the Text) and include a follow-on activity for each book.

　　Joy Cowley is a prolific, widely-published, and muchcelebrated New Zealand writer of fiction for adults and children. Cowley began her career writing short stories and novels before moving into the realm of children’s literature. She has published numerous novels and short stories. She has written a remarkable range of children’s books – including over 1,000 educational books for children learning to read.
　　Cowley has won many awards for her writing. In　2005 she was made a Distinguished Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children’s literature, and she was awarded a Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement for Fiction in 2010. In 2018 she was awarded New Zealand’s top honour, becoming a Member of the Order of New Zealand. Also in 2018, Cowley was short-listed for the Hans Christian Anderson award, the top international award for children’s literature.
　　Cowley began writing for children to help her son Edward who, like her, was slow to learn reading skills. Her first picture book, which uses humour to carry a serious anti-war statement, was The Duck and the Gun, published in New York in 1969. It was republished in 1985 with new illustrations by award-winning illustrator Robyn Belton.
　　In 2007, Clean Slate Press became Cowley’s exclusive international educational publisher. Initially, Clean Slate Press republished some of the author’s older work that was out of print, including Mrs Wishy-Washy, Cowley’s most famous title that has sold more than 40 million copies. In 2008, Cowley began writing new titles for Clean Slate Press. There are now 200 Cowley titles available from Clean Slate Press.
　　Cowley’s work is characterized by being child-centred, high-quality literature for young readers. She says: “Children need to find affirmation in a story. The story should empower children in several ways: helping them to feel good about their ability to make cognitive connections and to solve problems; helping them to see their own worthiness in the characters.”
　　Cowley lives in Featherston, New Zealand, where she continues to write for children.